1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cover for a seat of a vehicle and the like, and more particularly to a seat cover which serves as a heater in winter and as a ventilator in summer.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventionally, various types of seat covers are known which are suitably used in some season of the year only. For example, a seat cover preferably used in winter usually consists of wool or similar material which provides a sufficient heat storing capacity and a warm appearance. Further, it is desirable to use during summer a seat cover which provides an excellent air permeability and a cool appearance. Generally, however, such a material is not available with a reasonable cost and, in selecting the material, the appearance played a major role than the functional characteristics. Thus, the driver or passenger on the seat tends to sweat in summer due to the heat storing capacity of the human body and the seat, and to feel cool in winter as the seat itself is not sufficiently warm. Moreover, when the above-mentioned two types of seat covers are used alternately, one of them has to be replaced with the other at each end of the corresponding season. The seat cover which will not be used in the subsequent season has to be cleaned and stored requiring an expenditure of time and storage space.
In an attempt to eliminate the above-mentioned drawbacks, there has been proposed a seat cover which can be used through all the seasons of the year. This seat cover has an electric heater adapted to heat one side of the seat cover, and a ventilating blower adapted to discharge air through an opposite surface of the seat cover. In winter, the driver or passenger sits on the surface which serves as an auxiliary heater. The seat cover is used upside-down or reversed in summer so that the discharged air cools the other surface of the seat cover and the human body thereon, to prevent the heat storage and promote dissipation or evaporation of sweat. Such a seat cover includes a core which consists of hollow material to define an air passage. In order to improve the user's comfort, the core should have a sufficient flexibility so that the seat cover conforms with the seat and the user's body. However, when the core is deformed by the user's weight, the air passage is closed so that an efficient cooling cannot be achieved. After a long period of use, the core becomes flat closing the air passage, and such a deformation cannot be recovered so that the appearance of the seat cover is greatly injured. In order to prevent closure of the air passage and permanent deformation of the seat cover, the core should have a sufficient rigidity. But, in this case, due to insufficient flexibility, the user's comfort cannot be expected.